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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

I absolutely love, love loved getting to write the next
installment of the FOREVER FINLEY series. Halloween is my favorite
holiday of all time (this dates me a bit, but my favorite costume of all
time was when I was Cyndi Lauper in the first grade).

"October Omen" throws a new major obstacle into the reunion of Amos and
his sweetheart, Finley. It also offers up a few spine-tingling moments
for Kelly, the wedding planner and dress designer we first met in
"Forget February":

Forever Finley Short Story #11: Superstitions float around us
constantly. We choose to believe or discount them based on where our
hearts happen to be at that particular moment.

Kelly Marx, Finley’s
premiere wedding planner and dress designer, is on a mission to get
access to a Civil War-era shawl for Natalie, the latest bride to hire
her. But Mary, the elderly owner of the shawl, isn’t the only force to
come between Kelly and her goal. When the shawl goes missing, Kelly also
encounters mysterious characters and a slew of bad omens—but what does
it all add up to? What does it foretell? Where will Kelly’s skeptical
heart lead her?

Thursday, September 22, 2016

SPARK features two characters who have obvious "flaws": one has a birthmark, another a stutter.

This topic lends itself to great high school class discussion...

We all have things about
ourselves that we wish we could change. (If
only, we all think, I were prettier,
taller. Or, I wish I could make my
nose smaller, get rid of the scar on my chin, not have such frizzy hair, clear
up my skin…) If your fantasy could be granted, and what you perceive to be your
biggest flaw was magically erased, how would it change you? Would you behave
differently? Would you finally talk to your crush, go out for the lead in the
play? Would you step into the spotlight? Would you finally be brave enough to
make your mark?

Students can discuss the depiction of the external in SPARK--this includes costumes that appear throughout. They can also discuss the external vs. internal lives of the characters--and even of themselves. After all, sometimes, the best way to connect and interact with a book is by seeing connections between the text and the "real world."

Children are always being told the inside of a person is the most important part--and it is! But what are the barriers to getting to view a person's interior? How do our own opinions of our exterior, our perceptions of our own "flaws" keep people from seeing our own insides?

Are you a teacher using SPARK in your classroom? Contact me at hollyschindlerbooks (at) gmail (dot) com for a Skype.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

My MG, THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY, is brimming with opportunities to introduce your class to figurative / descriptive language. Auggie, the main character, becomes a folk artist, making sculptures out of "upcycled" materials. In order to do that, she can't see the world in a literal way--she sees a rusted pipe and thinks, "ballerina." Her ability to see the world in a poetic way is a big part of the reason why I felt her voice ought to be filled with metaphor and simile throughout--it only made sense that her poetic vision should be apparent even in the line-by-line descriptions.

I've made a small graphic including some of my favorite descriptive / figurative phrases from the book. Feel free to grab the graphic and use it in your own classroom:

I've also begun to create some boards on Pinterest featuring ideas for using my books in the classroom--and I'd love to get teachers involved! If you've used / are using THE JUNCTION in the classroom, and would like to take part in a collaborative board where we all share ideas on how to incorporate the book into classrooms or introduce the work to young readers, email hollyschindlerbooks (at) gmail (dot) com. You can also leave a comment at the board, if you'd prefer.

Acclaimed author Holly Schindler writes a
compelling contemporary tale with a dash of magic. The theater comes to
life in this story of family ties, fate, love, and one girl’s quest to
rewrite history.

The local Avery Theater was just a run-down
building to Quin—until her mother told her about the tragic love that
played out on the theater’s stage many years ago. Quin is convinced it’s
the perfect story to re-create for her drama class. And when she does,
the Avery begins to magically regain its former splendor, clearly
setting the stage for her classmates Dylan and Cass to relive the
romance from a time before. Quin can see the spark between them, but
it’s up to her to make sure her friends—and the Avery—can both be saved
this time around.

~

Ultimately, SPARK also asks readers to determine for
themselves what actually transpired: readers can debate, in class, whether they
believe the magical events of the book are to be taken literally, or are to be
read on a more metaphorical level, as the work of the protagonist’s “writerly imagination” (and have only
played out in the theater of young Quin’s mind). Did the Avery Theater magically regenerate? Did Quin's friends get a chance to see themselves without their flaws? Or has everything that has transpired on the pages actually a metaphor for the power of the theater? The way the theater allows us all to escape--whether we're in the audience or onstage?

~

Maybe the best widely-known example of using metaphor to shape the plot is FIELD OF DREAMS (one of my all-time favorite movies): Did those magical events really happen? Did Ray Kinsella actually plow up his corn, allow the spirits of historic ball players another chance to enjoy the game?

Or is the entire storyline a metaphor for a man trying to mend the fractured relationship with his father?

~

SPARK can open your students' minds to thinking about metaphor in a new way--as something that not only fleshes out line-by-line writing, allows a reader to see a character or setting in vivid detail, but as a device that can also help shape the events of the book as a whole.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Last winter, I offered "Come December" as a holiday story to my readers. And I was truly surprised by the results; the story hit the e-readers, tablets, and computers of readers who had never picked up one of my books before. Readers were also taking time out of their busy holidays to shoot me emails, tell me how much they enjoyed the short tale.

The response was so positive, in fact, that I decided to continue the story--the FOREVER FINLEY SHORT STORY SERIES was born.

The series has released once a month throughout 2016; each is a stand-alone, and each takes place in the small town of Finley. Read alone, each story creates on picture; read together, the stories create a completely different portrait of the magical town.

More on the Forever Finley series:

I've been so thankful to my readers, who have followed along with the series all year. And who have reviewed and recommended the stories to other reading friends.

To show my appreciation, I'm offering a giveaway: 1 winner will receive a free e-book of this year's holiday tale (tentatively titled ONE FATEFUL CHRISTMAS EVE). This year, it's a novella, not a short story.

I'll be releasing more information on the forthcoming novella in the weeks to come. For now, all you have to do is share the review you've written for "Song for September," the latest Forever Finley story. The review can appear anywhere--a blog, Goodreads, B&N, Amazon, etc. Enter in the link to your "Song for September" review in the form below. Having trouble with the form? Just email a link to your review to hollyschindlerbooks (at) gmail (dot) com.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Mr. Dosch is just one of those teachers--open-minded and fun and on the lookout for new projects to
stir his students' imagination.

I met Mr. Dosch last year, when his class wrote letters to Auggie, the main character of THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY. (Of course Auggie wrote them back!)

This year, he got his reading class off to a running start with my latest release, WORDQUAKE.

I wrote WORDQUAKE thinking of the "kinda-sorta" readers; the book features the misadventures of Izzy Ashby, a girl who'd rather be anywhere but the library.

To encourage both close and creative thinking, Mr. Dosch posed two questions to his class:

1. Izzy accidentally removes all the words from her school, making it impossible to do any bookwork. Shortly thereafter, the Izzy Ashby Fan Club is formed, and is said to have 100% membership. Dosch asked his class if they think this is a true 100%, considering the fact that Alexander Gum (a fourth grade scientist / inventor and the only person in all of Eastwood Elementary with working knowledge of wordquakes) loves his reading so much. Did Alexander join? Why would he? Or do you think that the membership of the fan club was 99.9%? Why?

2. Before reading the last chapter, Mr. Dosch asked his class to imagine how the book would end. Would Izzy save the day? How?

Mr. Dosch's class at work.

Mr. Dosch was kind enough to share the responses with me, and they were all just an utter delight! I loved getting a chance to hear how his students were interacting with the book--I especially enjoyed their predictions regarding the book's end. Some were already feeling Izzy's change of heart regarding the power of words; others had really imaginative ideas on how Izzy would put the words back in their rightful place. (Ideas involving wind or evaporation or scooping the words into a bag or even using her head flashlight to melt them back into place...)

Thanks, Mr. Dosch's 4th grade! I'm so glad I got to be a part of your new school year. Keep up the great work!

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About Me

I think the first thing I ever did in life was grab a pen and a cup of coffee...I love my caffeine, but I'm addicted to literature—reading and writing it. I'm the author of both critically acclaimed traditionally published and Amazon bestselling independently published works for readers of all ages. I'm owned by a Pekingese named Jake, and can be found writing my next book in my hometown of Springfield, Missouri. The full list of my awards and published books can be found at HollySchindler.com

Princess Leftover

PLAY IT AGAIN

GOT E-COPIES OF MY BOOKS?

THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY (MG Contemporary)

WORDQUAKE

THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY TEASER TRAILER

AN "AUGGIE-STYLE" TRAILER FOR THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY

THE JUNCTION SNEAK PEEK!

FERAL (YA Psychological Thriller)

RESPONSE TO FERAL:

"Opening with back-to-back scenes of exquisitely imagined yet very real horror, Schindler's third YA novel hearkens to the uncompromising demands of her debut, A Blue So Dark...This time, the focus is on women's voices and the consequences they suffer for speaking...This is a story about reclaiming and healing, a process that is scary, imperfect, and carries no guarantees." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY STARRED REVIEW

"In the town of Peculiar, the cats aren't the only ones keeping secrets...A dark and creepy psychological who-done-it that will keep you guessing until the very end." - Jody Casella, author of THIN SPACE

"Wow! This book starts off with a bang - two of them, actually - and then it sinks its claws into you and never lets go." - April Henry, New York Times-bestselling author

FERAL TRAILER

PRAISE FOR THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY

"Axioms like 'One man's trash is another man's treasure' and 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' come gracefully to life in Schindler's tale about the value of hard work and the power of community…Auggie's enthusiasm and unbridled creativity are infectious, and likeminded readers will envy her creative partnership with [her grandfather] Gus." – Publishers Weekly

“Determined to save her home, Auggie [uses] pottery shards, vivid glass, and metal sculptures [to] transform the house’s exterior into a vibrant expression of the love within its walls. In Auggie, Schindler creates a spunky, sympathetic character young readers will engage with and enjoy.” – The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Book Studies

“The protagonist perches in the reader’s heart as she goes about trying to “‘discover her shine.’” - NY Journal of Books

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LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT OF PLAYING HURT

PLAYING HURT

PLAYING HURT TRAILER

OR READ IT YOURSELF - PLAYING HURT EXCERPT

Click the cover to start reading!

LOVE FOR PLAYING HURT

Schindler's "excellent" second novel "explore[s] the sometimes painful, sometimes passionate road to healing."—Brian Katcher, author of ALMOST PERFECT“The summer romance between Chelsea and Clint is so steamy that PLAYING HURT could easily become this decade’s version of DIRTY DANCING.”—Kim Tomsic at Bookshelf Detective

“A delicious, tantalizing love story that will captivate you until the final, satisfying sigh.”—Kristin Walker, author of A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL

PLAYING HURT REVIEWS

“Both heartbreaking and thrilling…the book speaks to personal struggles and triumphs and the ability of the human spirit to heal. PLAYING HURT is a good read.”—VOYA

“The closing staccato chapters play out like the final minutes of a close game…Supporting characters, especially Chelsea's bass-playing younger brother, are all well drawn. With its rural setting and flirty competitive training scenes, this sexy summer romance will appeal to fans of Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s ‘Dairy Queen’ series.”—School Library Journal

“With no slick, happily-ever-after ending, this novel will capture teens with the characters’ guilt, anger, and, especially, the intensity of the young people’s connection.”—Booklist

MY DEBUT, A BLUE SO DARK

A BLUE SO DARK TRAILER

LISTEN TO A READING OF A BLUE SO DARK

OR READ IT YOURSELF - A BLUE SO DARK EXCERPT

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A BLUE SO DARK AWARDS

* One of Booklist's Top 10 First Novels for Youth

* Silver Medal, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year

* Gold Medal IPPY Award Winner

REVIEWS FOR MY DEBUT, A BLUE SO DARK

"Breathtakingly, gut-wrenchingly authentic...A haunting, realistic view of the melding of art, creativity, and mental illness and their collective impact on a young person’s life."—Booklist, starred review

"Any story about mental illness will not be an easy read, but a very good one will reward those who stick with it. A BLUE SO DARK definitely falls in that category, so powerful is the empathy the author has built for her main character.—School Library Journal

"An excellent first novel—a definite must-read. Schindler's debut novel is a lyrical tapestry...a work of poetry."—VOYA

ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR A BLUE SO DARK

"A BLUE SO DARK is a raw, compelling and eloquent portrayal of art and madness, and the freeing, healing gift of creativity. Schindler's voice is brilliant and true."—Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of NEED and CAPTIVATE"Schindler's lyrical debut explores the nightmare of mental illness in a voice that is sharp and funny and all her own. This is as real as teen fiction gets. A must-read."—Crissa-Jean Chappell, author of TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER

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JAKE

...Wondering when she'll finally push herself away from the desk so we can go for our walk...